2microThe smartphone, our little personal all-rounder and companion in all situations, is extremely important to us not only to search for information - be it finding the nearest bank, the departure time of a train or supporting decision making. In such so-called "micro-moments" companies can offer their help to users as well, if their service or product is sought after, because such useful advertising offers will not be seen as a distraction. In the end, it gives companies a chance to connect with consumers at the very moment their attention to communication is the highest. How that works and what exactly Micro Moments are, I want to explain in the following:

The term ‘micro moment’ got by the way first and foremost coined by Google, describing specific touchpoints in the customer journey where the user picks up his smartphones to perform a specific action. This can be the solution to a problem, the search for a service or even a route description. The moments consist mainly of attention, the right content and the relevance for the user.

Relevance

Google differentiates between four different micro moments, which are basically four different reasons that trigger smartphone users to look for advice on the Internet.

1. Want-to-know moments: At first, the mobile user wants to know something and needs information on a certain topic or even help in a situation. This is the first starting point where companies can be useful and in demand, because the user does not yet know exactly what he wants or what he will find.

2. Want-to-go moments: In these moments, the user searches for places that are usually in the immediate vicinity of him. Usually he already knows then what he is looking for and where he wants to go, but this does not limit the possibilities for companies to be helpful for the user and to attract his attention.

3. Want-to-do moments: Here, the user is looking for explicit explanations, wants to learn something and educate himself, be it theoretically (explanatory video) or practical (washing instructions). For such things, the mobile user does not want to go to a library or call his mom but be able to act with flexibility and without being tied to a place.

4. Want-to-buy moments: A want-to-buy moment is the classic case. As the term suggests, it is about the purchase decision that involves the use of the mobile device.

Strategy

Micro moments depict user behavior in the mobile age perfectly, therefore, it is crucial to keep up with this trend. Google suggests the strategy: Be there, be useful, be quick!

To be there means in the first place to identify relevant moments for your own company and the industry. This offers the opportunity to be prepared: if the customer comes to this point in the customer journey, the company can contact him and help with the decision-making process. This can happen, for example, in the form of dialog marketing – via app or emails – and devoting full attention to the customer. It is particularly useful when the company is not only there to attract the attention of customers, but to adapt to individual needs. Because if the user is not led to the answers he needs, he will quickly follow another path.

Being the fastest cannot hurt either, especially when looking at mobile performance. If it isn’t working properly, the user will quickly turn to another provider. For example, 70% of users change the website when loading takes too long, Google states. The mobile user of today wants to have fast information, decide quickly and then buy instantaneously. The fewer steps you need, the better.

But not only the fast loading of web pages is decisive, the same applies to the ability to react quickly to the micro contexts. With most of the millennials having their smartphones at their fingertips around-the-clock, explains why the customer journey has changed a lot. All mobile touchpoints can bring opportunities for local providers as well, since one in three smartphone users has previously never bought from a brand / company other than the originally intended one. The simple reason for a switch is that information was provided by another provider the moment it was needed. So, it's a good time to be useful and take the user by the hand and the customer experience to a new level. Hence, achieve a higher ROI by making your business model mobile and your marketing customer-centric by including micro moments in your strategy.

By Daniela La Marca